San Miguel allots at least $1B for battery storage projects

April 22, 2021 | 12:08 am

SAN MIGUEL Corp. (SMC), through its power arm SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., is spending more than $1 billion to build new battery energy storage facilities with a rated capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW).

In a press release issued on Wednesday, SMC said that 31 new battery energy storage units are underway. The company said that some storage facilities are in the advanced stages of completion.

“Our ongoing investment into battery energy storage facilities will greatly benefit power consumers all over the country, because this will mean that even faraway provinces or areas can have the same stable and good quality power supply as everywhere else,” SMC President Ramon S. Ang was quoted as saying.

The firm said that the immediate aim of the facilities is to address power quality issues, since the projects will be used as a regulating reserve type of ancillary service by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to mitigate grid frequency fluctuations and voltage issues.

With the new facilities, provinces and islands stand to have more opportunities for industrialization and economic growth, Mr. Ang said.

“If previously some areas could not attract investments because of unstable or poor power supply, battery energy storage will make power supply more stable and reliable,” he added.

He expects the relatively new technology to boost the flexibility of the country’s grid, and address the intermittency of renewables.

Earlier in January, the Department of Energy (DoE) identified 13 Luzon-based power projects with a combined capacity of 320 MW that have obtained financing and are supported by battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Based on DoE figures updated in October 2020, all the committed BESS projects in Luzon are by Universal Power Solutions, Inc., a wholly owned unit of SMC Global Power.

In 2018, SMC completed its first battery energy storage facility in its power plant located in Masinloc, Zambales.

Shares in SMC at the local bourse were unchanged at P116.80 apiece on Wednesday. — Angelica Y. Yang

Ayala Land expects recovery to start in second half

April 22, 2021 | 12:07 am

LISTED property developer Ayala Land, Inc. is expecting to recover by the second half of the year and is preparing P100-billion worth of residential products in the pipeline.

“With the steady rollout of our ambitious national vaccination program, of which the Ayala Group and especially Ayala Land would play a critical role, I believe that we can start to show signs of recovery by the second half of this year,” Ayala Land Chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala said at the virtual stockholders’ meeting on Wednesday morning.

However, the company believes it will take around two to three years to return to pre-pandemic levels.

“To set this recovery in motion, we allocated P88 billion in capital expenditures (capex) and P100-billion worth of residential products for launch in 2021,” Bernard Vincent O. Dy, president and chief executive officer of Ayala Land, said.

Around 44% of the company’s capex will be used for residential projects, some 26% for land acquisition, and 13% for estate development. The balance will be allocated for hotels and resorts, offices, malls, among others.

For residential products slated to launch this year, around 46% of the projects will be located in Metro Manila. The rest will be launched in Central and South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

“We are working towards a v-shaped recovery and I am confident that we have the institutional capability, required resources, and a strong balance sheet to achieve this objective,” Mr. Dy said.

The company currently has 30 estates across the Philippines and over 12,000 hectares of land in its land bank.

Meanwhile, the company’s logistics and warehousing business subsidiary AyalaLand Logistics Holdings Corp. is seeking to further expand its national footprint.

“We aim to be present in 10 key areas across the country, grow our warehouse [gross] leasable area to 500,000 square meters, and create new business platforms by the year 2025,” AyalaLand Logistics President and Chief Executive Officer Maria Rowena M. Tomeldan said during an online briefing on Wednesday afternoon.

The company is said to be present in five areas as of now. It also recently diversified its product offerings through the acquisition of a cold storage facility in Laguna Technopark.

Ayala Land shares at the stock exchange declined by 0.15% or P0.05 to close at P33 each on Wednesday, while stocks of AyalaLand Logistics improved by 1.47% to P3.46 apiece from P3.41. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Pancit: Chinese import but all-Filipino

April 22, 2021 | 12:07 am

fried-noodles-plate — NO party is complete without pancit. — TOPNTP26/FREEPIK

IN times of grief and strife such as these, we celebrate every little thing, and nothing says celebration at a Filipino table better than a platter of pancit. To be fair to this noodle dish, it has been a star for a long time, even and especially in times of plenty.

Filipino Food Month’s webinar series, Philippines on a Plate, presented a talk called “Untangling Pancit” last week, covered the bases like its origins and its spread.

Meah Ang See, advocate for Chinese-Filipino heritage and director of the Bahay Tsinoy Museum in Manila, gave a lesson on etymology. For example, the Hokkien word for rice is “bi,” and the spread of Chinese rice culture is reflected in our food’s names: biko, bigas, bihon, bilao, bilo-bilo (a glutinous rice and coconut treat, uncooked rice, a kind of rice noodle, a flat round tray used for winnowing rice and serving dishes, a desert made of small glutinous rice balls in coconut milk and sugar).

Pancit is another noun, borrowed again from the Chinese migrants — pian e sit, literally meaning food that is convenient to cook. “It’s the fastest. You boil some noodles, add some recado (other ingredients); you’re done.” It’s proto-fastfood nature came in useful in the 1700s, when it boomed due to the colonial tobacco monopoly policies in the Philippines. On breaks and after work, cigar-rollers and other factory workers would go to migrant Chinese vendors selling — what else? — the easy-to-cook pancit. The recipes became known to the locals, and soon, it was common to cook them at home. On the other hand, in a trickle-up story that took a century, the humble pancit that was once for toiling factory workers came to be placed on the tables of some of Manila’s restaurants, and hasn’t left since.

The talk had a broad definition of pancit, including noodle soups such as mami and lomi in the pancit lexicon. “It’s just really the Philippines that take all of these pancit and make it so rich. In every region, every barangay will say that they have the best pancit of their town; or their province. I would love to believe all of them,” said Ms. Ang See.

As a hybrid or transplant food, pancit becomes a symbol of cross-cultural and multicultural nature of the Philippines. “The Philippines is so diverse, and we’re so friendly to other cultures that we will take it, and make it our own,” she said.

PANCIT IN BACKSTREET, MOUNTAINS, SEASIDES
Marvin Gaerlan, a so-called “pancit nerd” and the man behind the pancit-focused Instagram @pancitlove, has travelled to various regions in the Philippines in the pursuit of the noodle dish. He documents the pancit he finds in backstreets, up in the mountains, or by the sea. During his segment of the talk, he not only explained why the Chinese transplant food was so readily adopted by Filipinos, but also thoroughly altered it to own it; and then spread it.

One, he says that it was easy to cook (as its Hokkien name would suggest), and it is relatively cheap and filling. “The ingredients are cheap, and they’re a cheap source of carbs,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. “Pwede siyang extender sa handaan, na hindi ka sisimangutan ng mga bisita (It’s used as filler as banquets, one your guests won’t frown at you for).”

It’s also very versatile, a meal that can be eaten any time of the day, which meshes well with other dishes (again, like at a banquet). It can also be made with all sorts of ingredients: the pancit lusay of Laoag, Ilocos Norte being an example. It is made with scraps from cutting miki noodles, then cooked with longanisa (local sausage), bagoong (fermented fish paste), tomatoes, and broth. The noodles also mix well with ingredients that are found in the vicinity: an earlier version of the popular pancit Malabon was made with labong (bamboo shoots, which gave their name to the city) and the seafood found in the town’s surroundings. The recipe as it is known today, with the spongy noodles, was developed a few generations later.

It also has to do with social contexts: pancit that is dry, fried, or saucy is served at more celebratory occasions like birthdays. “A pancit-less birthday is a travesty for me,” declared Mr. Gaerlan. He then points out that noodle soups like lomi are served at wakes and more somber occasions. That’s just for mainstream pancit: in recent years, people like him have been opening eyes to regional pancit, thus increasing their popularity.

Due to the ubiquity of pancit, it forms a part of many memories, thus making the dish global but very personal. “Ang mga pinakamamahal na alaala ko ng pancit ay pasalubong ng daddy na miki bihon (One of my most precious memories of pancit was my daddy’s treat of miki bihon).” In fact, when asked what his favorite pancit was, from all the towns he had been to, he simply answered, with some obvious pride: “Luto ng nanay ko — miki. (My mother’s — her miki).”

For more talks, videos, and seminar, visit the Filipino Food Month Facebook page at (5) Filipino Food Month | Facebook. — JL Garcia

PAL to trial IATA Travel Pass on LA, Singapore flights starting May

April 22, 2021 | 12:06 am

PHILIPPINE Airlines joins 27 participating airlines from 25 countries in conducting trial runs for the IATA Travel Pass. — PHILIPPINEAIRLINES.COM

FLAG CARRIER Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced on Wednesday that it would soon begin a trial run of a travel pass mobile application developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The IATA Travel Pass application allows passengers to digitally manage their travel documents and share their coronavirus test results.

“PAL and IATA will conduct a trial run of the new digital technology on the Philippine flag carrier’s flights from Manila to Los Angeles and Singapore on select dates from May to June 2021,” PAL said in a statement.

PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Gilbert F. Santa Maria said the IATA Travel Pass app is intended to assist passengers in verifying that they are in compliance with health rules and coronavirus test requirements.

The IATA Travel Pass app allows passengers to upload their passports for digital biometrics. “During the trial, PAL passengers will also be able to add their itinerary in the app and review health rules and regulations of their destination, especially on the required coronavirus testing before their departure,” the flag carrier said.

“The Travel Pass also enables partner and accredited coronavirus testing centers to upload laboratory test results on the app. One of the flag carrier’s testing partners, Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, will be accredited by IATA during the trial to upload test results on the said app,” it added.

The Tourism department said the adoption of IATA’s Travel Pass should help the country safely reopen its tourist destinations.

“Once the country’s adoption of the IATA Travel Pass is put into motion, the [Department of Tourism] hopes to safely reopen our tourist destinations to international visitors and revive the tourism industry as a whole… when the time is right,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat was quoted as saying in the statement. — Arjay L. Balinbin

McDonald’s to offer BTS Meal in local restos in June

April 22, 2021 | 12:06 am

The “BTS Meal” of McDonald’s will arrive in the Philippines starting June 18.

POPULAR food chain McDonald’s has partnered with Korean supergroup BTS for a specially designed meal to be offered in participating restaurants nationwide in June.

In an announcement made on Monday night, McDonald’s said its “BTS Meal” will arrive in the Philippines starting June 18, part of a one-of-a-kind menu “tour” for the offering that will have the band’s signature order served in some 50 different countries in the world.

The BTS Meal includes a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, medium fries, medium Coca-Cola, and sweet chili and Cajun dipping sauces inspired by popular recipes from McDonald’s South Korea.

The burger chain has seen its revenue outside the United States drop during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is tapping on promotional campaigns through celebrity endorsements and limited-time menu items to get customers back into restaurants as economies reopen with the roll-out of vaccines.

The BTS meal follows similar US-only deals with singers J Balvin and Travis Scott, which McDonald’s says boosted sales in the later half of last year.

The spike in demand during the Travis Scott promotion caused the company to temporarily run short of ingredients to assemble its signature Quarter Pounder burgers at some restaurants.

The BTS Meal, McDonald’s Philippines said, should be a hit in the local market as the band has a large following among Filipinos.

“This band is truly a global phenomenon with a fan base that knows no borders, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the BTS Meal to our customers in the Philippines starting June,” said Oliver Rabatan, McDonald’s Philippines Marketing & Channels Head, in a release.

For the management of BTS, the partnership is a welcome development since the group finds much affinity with the food chain.

“The band has great memories with McDonald’s. We’re excited about this collaboration and can’t wait to share the BTS Meal with the world,” said BIGHIT MUSIC, label of BTS.

BTS has had a steady presence in the global music scene in the last decade, churning out chart-topping hits like “DNA” (2017), “Boy with Luv” (2019) and “Dynamite” (2020).

For more information on the BTS Meal and other updates, follow McDonald’s social channels McDo.ph on Facebook and McDo_PH on Twitter and Instagram. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo with a Reuters report

Wine, noodles underperform as supermarkets oversupply

April 22, 2021 | 12:05 am

PHILIPPINE supermarkets are oversupplying products like instant noodles and wine, leading to a need to reassess product assortment, NielsenIQ said in a report on Wednesday.

Around 79% of the stock-keeping units, or distinct inventory items, of instant noodles, and wine and spirits contribute to less than 2% of overall category sales in Philippine supermarkets, the consumer intelligence firm said.

This data points to a “glut in nonperforming products that exist within just this one category alone.”

The trend can be seen across other products, including coffee mixes (72%), carbonated soft drinks (71%), dishwashing aids (67%), hair conditioner (67%), and toilet soap (65%).

Didem Şekerel Erdoğan, NielsenIQ senior vice-president and analytics leader in Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, said that products have proliferated in the market over the years as manufacturers compete amid consumer appetite for new variations.

“Finding and maintaining an optimal assortment has always been a challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic as well as intensifying competition have elevated this test to a new level,” she said.

Globally, 75% of stock-keeping units contribute to less than 2% of category sales. Drinks, instant noodles, chocolate, and detergent are some of the most underperforming categories, NielsenIQ said.

“More is not more, but rather the opposite as manufacturers end up investing in production and in-store shelf space for products that do not drive any incremental value, thereby eating into their profit margins,” Ms. Erdoğan said.

The NielsenIQ report said that supermarket assortment should be rationalized. But such rationalization does not just mean cutting low-sales products, but also a “sophisticated data-driven approach.”

“By correctly identifying which products to retire and keep, manufacturers can focus production and supply chain efforts on incremental products, but at the same time, eliminate waste, increase profitability and reinvest profits into new product development, which will ultimately capture new shoppers,” NielsenIQ Philippines Analytics Leader Lou-Ann Navalta said. — Jenina P. Ibañez

A royal drink without the royal price tag

April 22, 2021 | 12:05 am

By Joseph L. Garcia, Reporter

Drink Review
The Famous Grouse

I’D buy anything with a Royal Warrant, and this brand has had one since 1984. When I found this bottle of The Famous Grouse on Boozy.ph, I immediately sprung for it. This was, after all, the favored tipple of Queen Elizabeth II’s late younger sister, Princess Margaret. It’s a surprising choice. For someone who’d always had the best of everything (except when it came to birth order and marriage), she favored this blended Scotch, which costs a flat P999. It’s possible, then, to get drunk like a royal, without the royal price tag.

The Royal Warrant on the label (basically an endorsement by the Royal Family) as well as its ownership by the Edrington Group (behind more prestigious brands Highland Park and The Macallan) gives some heft to its impressions, despite the very approachable price tag. The brand was founded by grocer Matthew Gloag in 1896 as The Grouse, then renamed The Famous Grouse in 1906.

The taste reflects this accessibility, considering the different world occupied by its most famous customer. It smells transparently floral (like a reliable one-note perfume), but with notes of blond wood and vanilla. Its amber color reminds one of pancake syrup, and a taste of it is reflected in a sip’s opening note. This one has a very mild heat, and minimal spice. The taste is easy and approachable (not much like the grand princess who drank it), and drinking it is far from a meditative or even intellectual experience. It’s what one imagines a whisky would taste like if one took tasting notes literally (the company’s website lists them as dried fruit, soft spices namely cinnamon and ginger, and a hint of oak). It is, then, at least, honest and straightforward. One drinks this when they don’t want to think; or if they need something to either fuel their talking or give some life to a poker face. It really is a perfect fit for its most famous drinker, one of the most famous party girls of her era. I will say that if it hadn’t been for its Royal Warrant, I’d imagine this to be the drink of choice for a man whose idea of fun is to shoot squirrels.

Would I drink this again? Definitely, and gladly. It’s for people who wouldn’t really want to paint themselves as serious whisky people, but wouldn’t want to look too gauche with a more mainstream choice. It’s a drink with an offhand, reverse-snob cool: “Me? I’m just here to drink.”

The Famous Grouse is available in most stores, but also online on Boozy.ph, and distributed in the Philippines by Future Trade, Inc.

ABS-CBN warns consumers vs pirate domains; $40-M lawsuit filed in US

April 22, 2021 | 12:04 am

ABS-CBN Corp. warned consumers on Wednesday not to access its content through pirate domains, noting that it had already filed a $40-million lawsuit against 40 pirate domains in the United States.

“Beware of pirate domains, especially clicking on them. They usually contain malware which can substantially infect your computer,” Elisha Lawrence, ABS-CBN assistant vice-president and head of global anti-piracy, said in an e-mailed statement.

She added, “Watch our content on safe legitimate services such as ABS-CBN’s OTT platform iWantTFC and the TFC channel on all major cable and satellite providers.”

The media and entertainment company said it filed a $40-million lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida against 40 pirate domains that are allegedly pirating its content and infringing on its copyrights and trademarks.

”The Court recently issued a preliminary injunction against these 40 pirate domains to take down the domains with a serving notice,” it said.

In the Philippines, copyright infringement is punishable under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2021 or Republic Act No. 10175, which states that “penalty to be imposed shall be one degree higher than that provided for by the Revised Penal Code, as amended, and special laws, as the case may be.”

Under the Intellectual Property Code or Republic Act No. 8293, copyright infringement is punishable by imprisonment of one year to three years and a fine ranging from P50,000 to P150,000 for the first offense; imprisonment of three years and one day to six years plus a fine ranging from P150,000 to P500,000 for the second offense; and imprisonment of six years and one day to nine years and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P1,500,000 for the third and subsequent offenses. — Arjay L. Balinbin

BSP wants Bank Secrecy Law eased

April 22, 2021 | 12:04 am

BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno will ask President Rodrigo R. Duterte to certify as urgent a bill seeking to ease the Bank Secrecy Law, as he noted the Philippines is the only country with such tight restrictions on bank deposit information.

“We will request the President to certify the bill as urgent,” Mr. Diokno said at an online briefing on Wednesday.

The House Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries in February approved House Bill (HB) 8991, which amends Republic Act No. 1405 or the Secrecy of Bank Deposits Law.

The bill expands the supervisory powers of the BSP by allowing it to look into the deposit accounts of bank stockholders, owners, directors, officers or employees in the course of its investigation into closed banks, but only if there is reasonable grounds for fraud, serious irregularity or unlawful activity.

This will be applicable to deposits as defined by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC), as well as foreign currency deposits of banks operating in the Philippines and offshore branches of local lenders.

Mr. Diokno said the approved House bill includes inputs from the central bank.

Only the BSP will receive the results of the examination of deposits, but Mr. Diokno said this may be shared with the Securities and Exchange Commission, PDIC, Anti-Money Laundering Council, Department of Justice, and the courts, “provided that the sharing of the results of the said inquiry or examination is necessary to prevent or prosecute any offense or crime.”

According to Mr. Diokno, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have previously identified the Philippines and Lebanon as having strict bank secrecy laws that are hampering anti-money laundering efforts.

“Now, as Lebanon has lifted its bank secrecy law in May 2020, it appears that the Philippines is the only country which has deposit secrecy law,” he said.

Mr. Diokno said easing the Bank Secrecy Law will also benefit depositors as the BSP will have a boosted capacity to protect the public from losses caused by fraud and other unlawful activities.

The House version also includes a safe harbor clause that will exempt lenders from possible civil liability in relation to deposits examined by the BSP.

It prohibits officials and employees of the central bank and banking institutions from disclosing information related to the deposits. Violators of the law will face imprisonment of not less than two years but not more than 10 years, or face fines of not less than P50,000 or more than P2 million.

Senate Bill 1802 was also filed last year, but is still pending at the committee level.

“We have been pressing this [measure] with both houses of Congress and as you can see there are a lot of initiatives already on the part of Congress. We expect this to be acted upon maybe as early as when they reopen the Congress sometime in May,” Mr. Diokno said.

While the measure is not part of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council priority bills to be passed within the next months, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III has said the measure can still be prioritized.

Earlier this month, the IMF warned that the Philippines risks being included in the list of jurisdictions that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) deems to have serious anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism deficiencies if no major reforms will be implemented by June 2021.

Being part of the “gray list” will result in delayed processing of transactions which could affect business flows and remittances.

“Clearly, it [tight bank secrecy law] doesn’t look great for us [at BSP], that’s why we want to pass this law, to be at par with international standards,” Mr. Diokno said.

The IMF said easing the country’s Bank Secrecy Law will beef up the BSP’s supervision powers, boost guards against “dirty money” and terrorism financing, and improve ties with foreign authorities.

The Philippines passed Republic Act No. 11521 that strengthened the Anti-Money Laundering Act and Republic Act. 11479 or the Anti-Terror Act before a Feb. 1 deadline set by the FATF. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Dining In/Out (04/22/21)

April 22, 2021 | 12:04 am

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Dine al fresco at Shangri-La Plaza

SHANGRI-LA Plaza has now set up more open-air dining areas, allowing mall guests to enjoy dining out as safely as possible. The identified al fresco dining areas are the Shang’s Streetscape, the Level 5 East Wing balcony, and the Sky Garden at the Level 6 Main Wing. The Streetscape has a dedicated Shang Concierge where mall guests can place their food orders from any of their favorite restaurants within the mall. The Level 5 East Wing balcony and the Sky Garden areas allow mall visitors to enjoy meals ordered from nearby restaurants, including Buffalo’s Wings n’ Things, Pho Hoa, Tender Bobs, Zao Vietnamese Bistro, Southern Grind, Kettle and more. These outdoor dining spots observe safety protocols mandated by IATF and the local government. Mall guests in these areas will have to follow social distancing measures including sitting one seat apart from each other. They must keep wearing their masks except when eating. Aside from the Streetscape, the Level 5 East Wing balcony, the Sky Garden, another dining area will open soon the Parking Link. The dining areas are open daily from 11 a.m to 8 p.m. For inquiries, call 8-370-2597/98 or visit www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial.

Jollibee comes out with new Crispy Fries Bucket

Jollibee is introducing the new Jolly Crispy Fries Bucket which the entire family can share. It is a bigger version of Jolly Crispy Fries that is good for sharing for up to four people. It is available for P129 via the Jollibee Delivery App, JollibeeDelivery.com, #87000, GrabFood, and foodpanda. It is also available in Drive-Through and Take Out.

Binalot pivots to residential ‘Cloud Franchises’

FILIPINO fast food chain Binalot was not spared of the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing its sales decrease to less than half as people stayed home. Most of its current sales are from delivery. So Binalot has decided to pivot to a new business model with the Binalot home kitchen-based franchise or Binalot Cloud Kitchen for short. One no longer needs to find a space in a commercial area to open a Binalot franchise — it can be opened at home as long as there is a kitchen and a dedicated refrigerator and freezer for the Binalot stocks. Binalot will train the franchisee and staff on operations, food handling, marketing, human resources and will even set up their delivery system. For inquiries, e-mail ilovebinalot@gmail.com or visit www.binalot.com.

Que Rica offers Bicol’s sinantolan

One of Que Rica’s products is Sinantolan which is unique to Bicol cuisine. Made from minced santol (cotton fruit) simmered in coconut milk with salted baby shrimps and aromatics, sinantolan is traditionally eaten as a viand on the side of grilled or fried fish. Its light pink color (which comes from the salted baby shrimps) gives it that nice contrast with fish or meat. While a tasty dish on its own, people have discovered other ways to eat it: as a dip, slathered on crackers or dolloped on top of a crunchy crostini; with a bowl of crisp greens, a refreshing take on salad dressings; and mixed into rice. Que Rica’s Sinantolan is crafted in small batches and bottled by a community of women in the town of Gainza, Camariñes Sur. Aside from the Sinantolan, Que Rica also bottles vegetarian Laing and Taba ng Talangka. The bottled goods are perfect for gifting. Since 2015, Rica Dakudao Buenaflor, founder of Que Rica has been on a mission to champion Bicolano cuisine and catapult it into the world stage with products like Laing Longganisa and Pili Nuts (in truffle pecorino, with Himalayan salt, and PiliCoffee cluster bombs). Que Rica’s are available online and in selected specialty stores.

Global home appliance brands now on BeautyMNL

ONLINE shop BeautyMNL has expanded beyond beauty products to encompass kitchen items, carrying top global brands like Tefal Cookware, Cuisinart, Beka, Conair, Oneida, Reisenthel and Aladdin. It is now offering promos on some of these brands from April 18 to 25. The Tefal Day By Day Wokpan 32cm (made with an exclusive Titanium non-stick coating and the new Thermo-signal technology indicating the ideal temperature to start cooking) is available for 20% off; the Cuisinart Precision Master Stand Mixer (5.5 qt. polished stainless steel mixing bowl, chef’s whisk, dough hook, flat mixing paddle, and splash guard with pour spout) is at 30% off; the Beka cookware Venetia Range (forged aluminum pans featuring a Diamond-reinforced non-stick coating and a heat-resistant handle with a wood-like finish) is at 25% off; more Beka Cookware is on sale at a 40% discount; Oneida flatware sets on sale with discounts of up to 55%; Aladdin water bottles on sale for up to 60% off; Reisenthel lifestyle bags, including its Carry Cruiser shopping trolley, are on sale for a special 60% discount; Conair items, including its Dual Power Garment Steamer, are available for 30% off. All the brands are exclusively distributed by Rustan Marketing Corp. and are now available on BeautyMNL.

Robinsons Place Tacloban now open

A BIGGER, brighter, safer and eco-friendlier Robinsons Place Tacloban now welcomes shoppers back. Located in the city’s Marasbaras district, Robinsons Place Tacloban is a foodie haven. Some restaurants and food outlets to look forward to include: Canto Fresco, Bagnet and Beyond, Charito’s Delights, Tita Dina’s Seafood and Tia Tita’s, Annyeong Samgyupsal, Max’s, Kuya J, Cabalen, Hap Chan, Shakey’s, Jollibee, Greenwich, KFC, Yellow Cab, Pancake House, Figaro, Pepper Lunch, Goldilocks, Icebergs, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Macao Imperial, Bo’s Coffee, Chow King, Rai Rai Ken, Dunkin Donuts and many more. Some retail therapy outlets that will open soon: Uniqlo, Guess, Adidas, Toby’s, Levi’s, Restoerun, Bench, Penshoppe, Plains and Prints, Bayo, Regatta, Oxygen, Alberto The Travel Club, Unica Hija, Vise Versa, Converse, The Athlete’s Foot, Outland, Gibi, Sandugo, Watch Central, RRJ, Macbeth, and Blued, among others. In keeping with the popularity of bicycles, Robinsons Place Tacloban’s new bicycle parking and bike repair station is now available to the public. With strict and health sanitation protocols in place in all of its malls, mall goers are to adhere to these rules: no face mask/face shield, no entry; temperature check upon entry, scanning of personal QR Code, observing social distancing, stepping on foot bath and proper hand sanitation. On top of that, the number of customers allowed inside stores, restrooms, elevators and restaurants will be limited to regulate foot traffic.

Maricar’s Chocolate Cakes available through Lalamove

MARICAR’S Chocolate Cakes has been serving cakes in gold tin cans since 2015; its moist chocolate cakes have been popular since its launch. Over the years, it developed two more cake variants — coffee and ube-cheese, served in smaller jars. Like many other food producers, the company has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. While customers preferred visiting its physical stores and booths at bazaars before the pandemic, this is no longer possible. So Maricar’s Chocolate Cakes has been working with its business partners to continuously remain operational, one of which is Lalamove. Maricar Reyes said “Lalamove was our courier of choice since 2018, not just for our cakes, but for pick-up and delivery of other items needed for business…. They are also the courier we suggest to our customers for their cake pickups. I find their app simple and easy to use. Delivery fees are distance-based so the prices are more stable, compared to other couriers. The frequent discount vouchers are a happy bonus, too!” Eventually, every business will have to make the transition to the digital space to keep up with these trying times. Maricar’s Chocolate Cakes will continue to make people feel special with the help of Lalamove.

Apple packs iPad Pros with faster chips, slims iMacs, jumps into tracking tags

April 22, 2021 | 12:03 am

APPLE, INC. announced on Tuesday a range of new computers, a paid podcasting service and devices for finding lost items, signaling the continued expansion of its once-simple product line into more and more corners of customers’ lives.

The new $30 AirTags, tiny devices that can be attached to items such as keys and wallets to locate them when they are lost, were applauded by analysts as a likely hot-seller that would also keep the company’s more than 1 billion customers locked into its products.

A new iPad Pro tablet, featuring the same Apple-designed processor that powers the company’s more recent Mac computers, has keyboard and trackpad options that help make it a full-blown alternative to traditional laptops and desktops.

And a refresh of the Mac desktop line boasts seven color options, harkening back to the famous candy-colored Macs that helped Steve Jobs revive the company in the 1990s.

The announcements show how the iPhone maker is accelerating the expansion of its product portfolio and working to keep customers committed to its family of devices even as government scrutiny of the power and reach of major technology firms intensifies.

Most of the product introductions had been telegraphed before the presentation, which had no major surprises. Shares of Apple were down 1.3%, slightly more than the 1% drop in the Nasdaq index.

The new iMacs, which start at $1,299, feature a higher quality front-facing camera and microphone, responding to complaints from consumers during the pandemic that the computer’s cameras had not kept pace with iPhones and iPads during an era of pervasive video calls.

“Apple cameras in their computers have been terrible, frankly. They finally have a reasonable camera in the iMac,” said Bob O’Donnell, head of TECHnalysis Research, who added that the new colors were likely to stand out in a market dominated by black, white and silver machines. “For right now, it feels fresh and new.”

The new iPad Pros, starting at $799, use the same M1 chip as Apple’s other computers, rather than the beefed-up version of iPhone chips found in previous models. The tablets also have additional ports for connecting monitors and 5G connectivity, while featuring a higher-quality display than the company’s laptops.

Analysts said that when combined with Apple’s keyboard and trackpad accessories, the new iPad Pro models could be a compelling replacement for a laptop, especially for content creators or business travelers. But those accessories also push the price to nearly $1,100 — more than Apple’s cheapest laptop, the $1,000 MacBook Air.

Ben Bajarin, principal analyst for consumer market intelligence at Creative Strategies, said the devices are not likely to be volume sellers but will target the niche of consumers who value versatility.

“If you want to go the gamut from mobile production, content consumption and or creativity, that’s the device that does it,” he said.

Apple also announced podcast subscription services that will compete with rival Spotify Technology SA, a move to regain ground in a market it popularized years ago but never made money from.

Apple shares have risen nearly 95% over the past year, faster than the 63% rise in the Nasdaq Composite Index, thanks to a record of $274.5 billion in sales for fiscal 2020 as consumers stocked up on electronics during the pandemic.

The AirTags announcement could result in a new round of complaints to lawmakers that Apple is hurting smaller rivals. Tile, a private company that has sold a competing tracker for nearly a decade, last year testified before the US House of Representatives that Apple’s App Store rules had made it harder to use Tile’s products and will be called before the US Senate to testify on Wednesday.

Apple has said it subjects all apps, including its own, to the same App Store review rules, and recently allowed third-party developers to access the same systems as its AirTags.

In a research note, Raymond James analysts Chris Caso and Melissa Fairbanks said AirTags “could grow to become a $10-billion opportunity, similar to AirPods.”

But Bajarin of Creative Strategies said that iPhone owners who come to rely on the tags to help them keep track of everyday items are likely to stick with Apple’s brand over a longer time.

“The more you buy into just one hardware product, the less likely it is you’ll ever leave,” Bajarin said. — Reuters

LBC Express Holdings suffers nearly 60% drop in net income

April 22, 2021 | 12:03 am

LISTED LBC Express Holdings, Inc. on Wednesday reported a 59.50% drop in its attributable net income for 2020, as operating income declined amid a global health crisis.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, LBC Express Holdings said its attributable net income fell to P200.28 million last year from P494.57 million in 2019.

The company’s service revenues declined 7.18% to P14.12 billion from P15.21 billion previously. Its operating income decreased 38.25% to P790.49 million from P1.28 billion.

“The impact of the pandemic resulted in decline in revenue, recognition of additional allowance for expected credit losses, and receipt of rent concessions from lessors,” the company said.

It added that it incurred pandemic-related expenses such as medical and sanitation supplies, shuttling costs, donation of face shields and face masks, premiums paid to employees and rapid testing costs.

“Management is continuously monitoring the financial impact to the group as the coronavirus disease 2019 situation progresses and as the group maintains its commitment to the continuous provision of services to its customers while ensuring the safety and welfare of its employees,” the company noted.

LBC Express Holdings is a holding company with investments in businesses of messengerial — by sea, air or land — of letters, parcels, cargoes, wares, and merchandise.

It is also involved in acceptance and remittance of money, bills payments, and foreign exchange trading, among others.

LBC Express Holdings shares closed 0.12% lower at P16.28 apiece on Wednesday. — Arjay L. Balinbin